Al Gordon, the Emmy Award-winning comedy writer whose fast-paced material helped American comedian Jack Benny make the transition from radio to television in the 1950s has died. Aged-89, his death was confirmed by a spokesman for Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre earlier today following a string of health problems attributed to his old age.
Benny, who died aged 80 in 1974, worked with Gordon from 1950 on his debut on television until his death, with Gordon and his co-writer Hal Goldman noted for their ability to work wonders with Benny in their scripts. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Goldman joined the team of two other writers already on the show's staff, sam Perrin and George Balzer and would continually be referred to by Benny as the 'new writers' in a joking fashion. Together, the four were credited on 222 episodes before the show ended in 1965, with Gordon and Goldman going on to work together on a string of other programmes for a number of years after.
Born on April 21, 1923, Al Gordon lived his first seven years on a small farm outside Akron, Ohio, before he moved to the Bronx, New York. He is survived by his son, Neil; daughter, Jill; and four grandchildren. His wife, Charlotte, died in 2008.